Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 109 (MT) / Psalm 108 (LXX) is the Psalter's most-sustained imprecatory psalm — a Davidic-petition against a treacherous-accuser, with an extended-catalogue of curses (vv. 6–19) that has troubled interpreters for centuries. Verse 8's 'may another take his office' is cited at Acts 1:20 as scriptural-warrant for replacing Judas with Matthias. The psalm thus joins Ps 69 as a Judas-type text — the treacherous-friend of the innocent-righteous-sufferer.
Notable Variants
109:8 'may another take his office' → Acts 1:20 Judas-replacement citation; 109:25 'they wag their heads at me' → Matt 27:39 / Mark 15:29 crucifixion-mockery; the extended imprecatory-catalog as theological-problem.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 109 = LXX Ps 108. 31 verses. Psalter's most-extensive imprecatory-catalog.
For the music director. Of David. A psalm. O God of my praise, do not be silent.
Superscription tracks MT.
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me; they speak against me with a lying tongue.
'Be not silent, O God of my praise!' tracks MT.
Words of hatred surround me; they attack me without cause.
'For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues' tracks MT.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am all prayer.
'They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause' tracks MT. WITHOUT-CAUSE hate (dōrean / chinnam) — joining Ps 35:19, 69:4 → John 15:25 Christological tradition.
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
'In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer' tracks MT. GIVE-MYSELF-TO-PRAYER. Matt 5:44 ('pray for those who persecute you') Christologically extends.
Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
'So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love' tracks MT.
When he is judged, let him come out guilty, and let his prayer be counted as sin.
'Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand' tracks MT. IMPRECATORY-CATALOG begins. The 'accuser' (satan / diabolos) — legal-adversary imagery.
Let his days be few; let another take his position.
'When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!' tracks MT.
Let his children be orphaned and his wife a widow.
Masoretic (WLC)
יִהְיוּ־יָמָיו מְעַטִּים פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵר
May his days be few; may another take his office
Septuagint (LXX)
γενηθήτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὀλίγαι καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λάβοι ἕτερος
Let his days be few, and let another take his office
ACTS 1:20 CITATION — JUDAS REPLACEMENT. Peter cites this verse at Acts 1:20 (together with Ps 69:25) as scriptural-warrant for choosing a replacement-apostle for Judas: 'For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it; AND: LET ANOTHER TAKE HIS OFFICE (tēn episkopēn autou labetō heteros).' Matthias is subsequently chosen (Acts 1:23–26).
'OFFICE' (episkopē). The LXX's episkopē — 'visitation, oversight, position-of-oversight' — is the same noun as 'bishop' (episkopos). 1 Timothy 3:1 ('if anyone aspires to the OFFICE OF OVERSEER') uses the same-family vocabulary for the Christian pastoral-office. The psalm's 'appointment/office' becomes the early-church's technical-term for apostolic-and-pastoral-office.
Let his children wander as beggars; let them seek bread far from their ruined homes.
'May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!' tracks MT. FAMILY-CURSE — the comprehensive-destruction curse.
Let the creditor seize all he has; let strangers plunder his labor.
'May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!' tracks MT.
Let no one extend faithful love to him, and let no one show compassion to his orphans.
'May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!' tracks MT.
Let his descendants be cut off; in the next generation let their name be blotted out.
'Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!' tracks MT.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
'May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!' tracks MT. NAME-BLOTTED-OUT curse — the severest ancient-Near-Eastern curse.
Let their sins remain before the LORD continually, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.
'May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!' tracks MT.
Because he did not remember to show faithful love but pursued the poor and needy, the brokenhearted — to put them to death.
'Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!' tracks MT.
He loved cursing — let it come upon him. He did not delight in blessing — let it be far from him.
'For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death' tracks MT. The JUSTIFICATION for the curses: the accused's actual-crimes against the poor-and-broken. Matthew 25:45 ('as you did it not to one of the least of these …') reverses this theology.
He wore cursing as his garment — let it enter his body like water and his bones like oil.
'He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!' tracks MT. The CURSE-COMES-BACK principle — retributive poetic-justice.
Let it be like a garment he wraps around himself, like a belt he always wears.
'He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!' tracks MT. Curse-absorbed-like-water-and-oil — permanent-saturation.
Let this be the payment from the LORD to my accusers, to those who speak evil against my soul.
'May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!' tracks MT.
But you, O LORD my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake. Because your faithful love is good, rescue me.
'May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life!' tracks MT.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me.
'But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!' tracks MT.
I fade like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
'For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me' tracks MT. POOR-AND-NEEDY anawim-identity.
My knees buckle from fasting, and my body has grown thin, stripped of fat.
'I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust' tracks MT.
I have become a disgrace to them; when they see me, they shake their heads.
'My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat' tracks MT.
Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to your faithful love.
'I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads' tracks MT. WAG-THEIR-HEADS. Matthew 27:39 / Mark 15:29 narrate the crucifixion-mockers who 'derided him, WAGGING THEIR HEADS' (kinountes tas kephalas autōn) — deploying this psalmic vocabulary Christologically alongside Ps 22:7's crucifixion-head-wagging.
Let them know that this is your hand — that you, O LORD, have done it.
'Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!' tracks MT.
Let them curse, but you will bless; when they rise up, let them be put to shame, but let your servant rejoice.
'Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!' tracks MT.
Let my accusers be clothed in disgrace; let them wrap themselves in their own shame as in a robe.
'Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!' tracks MT. CURSE-VS-BLESS contrast. Matthew 5:44 ('bless those who curse you'), Romans 12:14 ('bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them') Christologically transform the psalm's dynamic.
I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth; in the midst of the throng I will praise Him.
'May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!' tracks MT.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul.
'With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng' tracks MT.
'For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death' tracks MT. GOD-AT-THE-RIGHT-HAND-OF-THE-NEEDY. Counter-image to v. 6's 'accuser at his right hand.' The psalm ends with God-as-true-advocate.